Protective cap for a liquid dispenser



1965 D. F. CORSETTE ETAL 3,167,217

PROTECTIVE CAP FOR A LIQUID DISPENSER Original Filed Feb. 2, 1862 M. m E WW2 BY 2 M z ATTORNEYS 3,167,217 PROTECTIVE CAP FOR A LIQUID DISPENSER Douglas F. Corsette, Los Angeles, and Rex C. Cooprider, Downey, Calih, assignors to The Dracirett Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Continuation of application Ser. No. 170,543, Feb. 2, 1962. This application Dec. 24, 1963, Ser. No. 333,800 7 Claims. (Cl. 222182) This invention relates to liquid dispensers and more particularly to improvements in protective caps for such dispensers.

This application is a continuation of our copending application Serial No. 170,543, filed February 2, 1962, now abandoned.

It has been heretofore known to provide a liquid dispenser of the reciprocating pump type supported by the closure of the liquid container to withdraw the liquid from the container incident to reciprocation of the pump plunger which projects outwardly through an opening in the closure. In order to immobilize the plunger during shipment of the container, it has been known to provide cooperating threads on the plunger and on a stationary portion of the associated pump or container structure. However,it has been found that in packing the containers for shipping, such containers will often be arranged in layers with each layer supporting the weight of the layer immediately thereabove in a manner such that the weight is primarily borne by the upwardly projecting plungers, thereby tending to overstress and damage the plungers or associated portions of the pump structure, particularly where the containers are subjected to rough handling. It has been further found that in attempting to disengage the threaded holddown connection of the plunger to permit its reciprocation as required for placing it in use, difficulty sometimes is experienced in exerting sufficient torque on the projecting end of the plunger to free it. Also at times the user may erroneously attempt to unscrew it by applying a rotational force in the wrong direction, with danger of stripping the threads, or otherwise damaging the parts.

With these factors in mind, it is a primary object of the invention to provide a very simple, economically produced, and easily applied and removed protective cap or overcap adapted to be frictionally retained on the upwardly projecting dispensing head of a reciprocating liquid dispenser, and which is arranged to protect the head against axial pressure.

It is a further object to provide such a protective cap which, in addition to being frictionally fitted and retained on the plunger dispensing head, provides a rotational interlock with same whereby toprovide a Wrench-like grip facilitating release of the head as required to permit its reciprocation.

It is a further object, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, to so arrange the parts that the frictional gripp ng and torque transmitting functions of the cap are both enhanced by the use within the cap of resiliently radially deflectable ribs or lugs positioned for frictional and torque transmitting engagement with the plunger.

A still further feature of the invention capable of attainment by the invention in certain of its embodiments, consists, in arranging the said ribs or lugs in a tangential direction to abut circumferentially against projecting portions of the dispenser head and to transmit positive torque thereto in one direction. It is a further object in a special application of the invention to so arrange and proportion the said ribs that they may transmit a very substantial degree of torque to the dispenser head in the rotational direction necessary to release it from threaded engagement with the stationary portions of the pump or United States Patent 3,,lfi7,2i7 Patented Jan. 26, 1965 "ice container structure, but when it is rotated in a direction to tighten the threaded parts, the tangentially inclined ribs will yield inwardly and permit slipping or ratcheting of the cap relative to the plunger structure to protect the latter against an application of an excessive tightening force such as might strip the interengaged threads, or otherwise damage the parts.

Several somewhat different embodiments of the invention are illustrated for purposes of exemplification only in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 represents an axial cross section through part of a reciprocating dispensing pump structure carried by a container cap for application to a usual liquid container, showing the manner in which a protective cap, in accordance with the invention, is applied to the upwardly projecting dispenser head of the plunger, when the latter is immobilized in its fully depressed condition.

FIGURE 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2, but on a relatively reduced scale showing a slightly modified form of the invention.

FIGURES 4 and 5 are views both similar to FIGURE 3, but showing still further modifications.

Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawing, the numeral 10 designates generally a usual container closure, which in the present instance is shown as being plastic and molded integrally with certain portions of the pump structure, though this integral formation is by no means essential any more than is the particular form of the closure itself. Closure It} is illustrated as being in the form of a usual snap fitting cap or resilient material such as polyethylene or other plastic having similar qualities. In this form, it may be provided with a radially inwardly projecting shoulder 10a, as shown in FIGURE 1, adapted to snap into place beneath the bead at the upper end of a usual bottle neck, after being passed downwardly thereon. In addition, the capmay be formed with a depending annular rib 10b for sealing reception Within the mouth of the bottle. It will be seen further that the cap is provided with an upwardly projecting shouldered portion or surface 11 and is formed centrally with a circular opening 12 there/through. The opening 12 in this instance is shown as surrounded by an upstanding annular formation 13, which may be regarded either as a portion of the cap, or of the pump barrel 14 hereinafter described, since these parts are all shown in the present exemplification as being formed integrally.

The pump barrel 14 thus is connected to and supported from the container closure 10 in such manner that when the latter is operatively applied to a liquid container, the pump barrel 14 will depend from the cap into the container and will be so arranged that actuation of the pump will withdraw the liquid from the container. The barrel 14 defines a cylindrical pump chamber 16, Which preferably is vented at 17 in usual manner, and for usual purposes, and is open at its upper end in communication with the circular opening 12.

Disposed for vertical reciprocation in the chamber 16, and along its vertical axis is a hollow plunger 18 which will be understood to communicate at its lower end with the pump chamber 16 to convey the liquid upwardly therefrom through the plunger and discharge it from the hollow plunger head 20 through any suitable discharge opening therein. In the present instance, the illustrated dispensing head 20 in the form of a spray head having a laterally presented face 21 through which the spray orifice or orifices open in a manner which will be readily understood. It will be further understood that the plunger 18 is provided internally with the usual valves and valve seats required for the purpose of producing a unidirectional upward intermittent flow of fluid in response to reciproca- .tight engagement.withtheinner wallirof the pump chamber 1 6,though'these latter features are not specifically illus- 5 trated. V 7

Also, there may be provided "as an integral part of the cap and'barrel structure, an annular radially inwardly projecting ring or rib"1i9 in wiping engagement with the plunger and'serving'as'a guide and centering means for it. 1

At its upper end, the plunger head '26 -is formed to'provide ah'upwardly axially presented finger piece 22 upon; Whichth'e'finger pressure may be intermittently'exerted to press the plunger down against theaction 'of suitable closed bya top 32 at its u per end. The lower end edge of the skirt pre'ferably is formed of increased radial thickness, as at 33, and .is disposed for abutting engagement in an axial direction with the upwardly presented shoulder 11. of the'container closure 1.0a Formed, integrally with the cap, and of the same material above mentioned, are aseries of axially extending radially inwardly projecting ribs or lugs 34, which lare regularly eircumferentially spaced around the interior of the skirt 30. These extend all the way to the 'upper e nd of the skirt and for a substantial distance axially down the inside of the skirt'structure, and serve bothas a grippingmeans as hereinafter brought forth as well as a means for reinforcing the skirt as against'axial forces. 'The inner ends or end-edges 35 spring means (not shown) within the barrel 14'exerting an "ofthe respe ctiver ibs normallyare arranged to lieon the upward resilient pressure on the plunger and causing its return movement.

In the form of. finger. piece 22 hereinillustrated, the

' latter is formed to'present a concave upper face or surface 'adapted'to .provide a comfortable seat for, engagement 'by ribs 34 and generally speaking, within' the grooves 36'bethe users finger, and .this finger. piece is bounded. on its radial margins by relatively "angularly disposed side-edges 7 arranged so that certain of the intersections 24 of these V p 7 18. The inner=ends =or endsur face's '35 of some of the edges define radial projections beyond the rest of the surface of an imaginary cylinder of somewhat smaller diameter than the surface of revolution which contains the several projections 24 of the finger piece 22. Thus, the projections 24 are received between relatively adjoining v tween immediately adjoiningribs 34. Thus the 'ribs or lugs 34 tend to interlockthe head 20 and the cap together for rotary motion about-the rotational axis of the plunger head. It is important that these several ,projections24' ribs 34in this embodiment areradially outwardly deflected all are disposed concentrically to the cylindrical axis'of 'theplunger. The plunger andbarrel are. so assembled'that the plunger norm-ally is freely rotatable-in the barrel about the aforesaid axis;

bytheir abutting e'ngagementwith the finger piece 22 of Also, it 'will'be seen that-the plunger and a suitable sur- 7 3 toapp'licationto the*head 20 they will norm ally'be o'f unirounding, but stationary, portion of the cap or barrel strucform tangential inclination relative to the imaginary cyture are formed with mating threads 26 and 28respectively concentric-to the'said axes. These threads are positiOned axially on the respective partsfor engagement in the down-' lindrical surface containing the various-points or edges35, and some of'these will have their radially inner ends or surfaces abutting ina tangentialdirection against the Wardly depressed position ,ofrthe plunger to immobilize 35 head through its finger piece 22 to transmit a strong torque the latter and thereby to prevent inadvertent dispensing due to movementimparted to'the plungerin the event of rough handlingduring shipping. In'the illustrated structure'of FIGURE 1 it will be seen that the plunger'also.

"release the plungenfrom its immobilized rconditionshown in FIGURE 1. By inspection of FIGURES land 2 it will carries an integral radiallyprojecting seal 29 formed with 40 be' see n that the threadst26 and 28 are usual righthanded a feather edge for sealingengagement with the inner periphery'of the opening 12 to prevent escape of any liquid by movement between the plungerandbarrel. It will be quite apparent that the threads '26 and '28-r'nay'be operatively engaged by first depressing-the plunger and then by the 'lowerjendsnfrthe ribs 34 terminate above the down wardly-opening end 33 of the cap'andthesaid lower end,

rotating it in a clockwise direction. Similarly thev immobilized plunger may be rendered operative by'grasping the head 20 and rotating it in'a counterclockwise direction to release the interengagedthreads 26 and 28. Howeven "thus being 'free of theobstructioniprovided by said ribs 34,-may'freely receive andfunction as a pilot for guiding even when the plunger is immobilized in its fully de- '5'0"'the'finger:piece '22 to'the ribs '34. The lower ends of the pressed condition, as shown in'FIGURE l, the plunger 7 head 20 will project a substantial distance'abovethe-top J of the container, and unless protected in some Way, will be ribs are preferably radially outwardly aflared as at 37 so that their flared surfaces 37 mayfunction as cams "for guiding and rendering the head through its finger subject to damage due to the weight of other containers; I resting thereon, or to accidental blows incurred in hanwords,:.positioned'in axial'alignment'with the entire pump dling. Also, since the dispensing head-2Q normally will be piece 22. Inthis manner the cap is centered or in other structure when. assembled thereto. quite-small and thus will afiord but a'limited area for V engagement by the users fingers, diificulty may sometime are assembled on the filled containers bymeansof the cap be experienced in rotating it to disengage the threads, par-: 2; such as generally exemplified by 10 in the instant disticularly to placethepump in operation for the firstitime 6Q closure,- the plunger 20- being at ;this time immobilized where the'threads 26 and 28' are tightly engaged. 'AIS i ts depressed- -e ondition ;Wlth the protective eap apin some instances, this difficulty may be increased by the plied thereover, all inthe'manner shown in FIGURE-1. entry of asmall part of the liquid contents of the container between the interengaged threads, particularly where such plunger head, either from above or fromany lateral side contents "are of a nature such as will tend-to bind the 6 thereof, willbe intercepted by theproteetivecapand, in threads. a particularyany downward forces will betransmitted by In order to overcome these difficulties, there 'is prothe. protective. cap to the closure .10 by'virtue of the vided a protective cap which fits over and is frictionally abutting engagement between the loweredge .33 of the secured on thedispenser head 20 and various forms of protectivecap and the upwardly presented shoulder 11 which are illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 5 inclusive. Reof the closure.

Thus in the use'of the invention, the pump structures With this arrangement any forces directed toward the ferring first to FIGURES 1 and 2, the protective" cap shown in these figures comprises a unitarys'tructure formed or moldedof a homogeneous resiliently flexible When it is des red to place; the pump structure in op- I eration'to initiate the dispensing of the liquid from the container this may'be readily accomplished by grasping the exterior of the protective cap between the fingers and 5 exerting tlfCOtlIltGI-ClOCkWlSG'IOlIEltlOHal force on'it, The

gripping of the cap in a positive manner will preferably be facilitated by externally roughing or knurling the exterior sidewall of the protective cap. When the threads 26 and 28 are thus disengaged the plunger will be automatically spring projected upwardly by the action of the usual pump spring, following which the protective cap may be axially withdrawn from the plunger head 20. The plunger head 20 may then be reciprocated by intermittent finger pressure on the finger piece 22 in usual manner, following which if desired it may again be returned to its immobilized position by depressing it and rotating it in a direction to engage the threads 26 and 28. This will prevent inadvertent spilling of the contents where the container is to be packed for travel, or simply in the event it should be upset accidentally. Where the pump structure, including the head 20, is utilized in a quite small and frail structure such that there might be danger of over tightening the threads 26 and 28, the protective cap may also be used to advantage for effecting the tightening action. In such case, the tangentially inclined ribs or lugs 34 will be so proportioned and of such stiffness that they will transmit to the plunger head only a predetermined maximum amount of torque insufiicient to strip the threads or otherwise cause damage, and the exertion of a further torque on the protective cap itself will merely result in a ratchet like action in which the lugs 34 yield radially outwardly sufiiciently to pass over the projections 24.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG- URE 3 the construction and mode of operation are identical with those described in connection with FIGURES l and 2 except that in this instance the protective cap itself instead of being of cylindrical configuration in its skirt portion 30a, is of octagonal shape and cross section, with the interior lugs 34 disposed substantially at the intersections of the adjoining fiat sidewall portions, but otherwise identical with the ribs 34 of FIGURES 1 and 2.

In FIGURE 4 the octagonal configuration of the skirt 30c is employed as in FIGURE 3. However in this case the lugs 34 are completely omitted, the several radial projections 24 of the finger piece in this case being grippingly received in the grooves 360 defined between and at the annular intersections of the adjoining fiat sidewall portions 340 of the skirt 300. The inner faces of the respective sidewalls 34 are arranged to constitute resiliently radially yieldable surfaces proportioned for such snug reception of the finger piece 22 as to be in frictional gripping engagement with some of the side edges thereof, as well as of the points or projections 24.

The embodiment of FIGURE 4 has the disadvantage as contrasted with the embodiments of the various other figures, that in this case the protective cap must be oriented with the dispenser head 20 and more particularly with respect to the finger piece 22 thereof prior to its application.

FIGURE 5 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention more closely related than FIGURE 4 to the preceding embodiments in that it employs a protective cap in which the depending skirt 30b is of cylindrical configuration as in FIGURES 1 and 2. This embodiment however differs from that in FIGURES 1 and 2 in that the ribs 341) are in the form of a series of axially extending serrations having their bases in contiguous relationship and having their sides diverging in substantially equiangular relation to a radial plane intersecting the crest of each serration. Thus this embodiment is lacking in the tangential inclination of the ribs, as well as the advantages resulting therefrom as outlined in connection with FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, but nevertheless is capable of achieving a self centering action when applied to the plunger head, and is adapted to be frictionally retained thereon, as Well as to act through its lugs or ribs 34b to impart a substantial torque to the finger piece 22.

In this application we have shown only the preferred embodiment and a limited selection of modifications of the invention. However it will be appreciated that the invention is capable of other and different embodiments and that its various specific details may be altered in a number of obvious ways without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawing are to be considered as merely illustrative of the invention and not as restrictive in nature.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A liquid dispensing pump for a container comprising a container closure formed with a circular opening, a pump barrel defining a cylindrical pump chamber supported from said closure with said chamber communicating with said opening, a hollow plunger reciprocable in said chamber and through said opening and rotatable about the cylindrical axis of the chamber, a dispensing head fixed on the external end of said plunger and formed to provide an axially presented finger piece for receiving intermittent finger pressure to operate the plunger, said finger piece being laterally bounded by a plurality of relatively angularly disposed side edges, certain of the intersections of said edges defining radial projections radially outwardly of the rest of said head, said projections being disposed on a surface of revolution coaxial with said chamber, said plunger and said barrel respectively being provided with mating threads concentric to said axis and positioned for engagement in the inwardly depressed position of the plunger, said threads being engageable and disengageable by relative rotary movement between the plunger and barrel, in combination with a protective cap comprising a tubular skirt encircling said head and closed at its upper end, a series of axially extending radially inwardly projecting ribs integral with said skirt and reinforcing said skirt against axial compressive forces, the inner ends of said ribs normally lying on the surface of an imaginary cylinder of smaller diameter than said surface of revolution, the said projections of the head being received between relatively adjoining ribs and thereby interlocking the head and cap together for rotary motion about said axis.

2. A pump as defined in claim 1, in which the tubular skirt of said protective cap abuts axially against said container closure.

3. A pump as defined in claim 1, in which the inner ends of some of said ribs are radially outwardly deflected by said head, and frictionally retain said protective cap against axial displacement on the head.

4. A pump as claimed in claim 1, in which said ribs of the protective cap are uniformly tangentially inclined relative to said imaginary cylindrical surface, and some of them have their radially inner ends abutting in a tangential direction against said head to transmit torque thereto in a direction to disengage said threads on the plunger and barrel respectively.

5. A pump as defined in claim 4, in which said ribs are resiliently outwardly yieldable in a radial direction to permit rotation in the opposite direction of said cap on the head responsive to exertion on the protective cap of a torque above a predetermined magnitude.

6. A pump as defined in claim 5, in which the lower ends of said ribs are above the lower ends of said skirt and are radially outwardly flared toward the lower end of the skirt for guiding reception of the said head.

7. A liquid dispensing pump for a container comprising a container closure formed with a circular opening, a pump barrel defining a cylindrical pump chamber supported from said closure with said chamber communicating with said opening, a hollow plunger reciprocable in said chamber and through said opening and rotatable about the cylindrical axis of the chamber, a dispensing head fixed on the external end of said plunger and formed to provide an axially presented finger piece for receiving intermittent finger pressure to operate the plunger, said finger piece being laterally bounded by a plurality of relatively angularly disposed side edges, certain of the intersections of said edges defining radial projections radially outwardly of the rest of said head, said projections being disposed on a surface ofrevolution coaxial with said chamber, said plunger and said barrel respectively being provided with mating threads concentricto said axis and plunger and barrel, in combination'with a protective cap comprising a tubular skirt encircling said head and closed atits upper end, the lower end of said skirt being disposed for abutment against said closure, said skirt being formed 10 integrally with a series of surfaces disposed for snug reception'ofand frictional'gripping engagement with said 'said head, said 'skirit further'being' formed internally with axially disposed grooves between such surfaces for reception of said projections tointerlock 'the head and cap forrotary movement together.

.No references cited.

LOUIS LDEMBO, Primary Examiner. 

1. A LIQUID DISPENSING PUMP FOR A CONTAINER COMPRISING A CHAMBER CLOSURE FORMED WITH A CIRCULAR OPENING, A PUMP BARREL DEFINING A CYLINDRICAL PUMP CHAMBER SUPPORTED FROM SAID CLOSURE WITH SAID CHAMBER COMMUNICATING WITH SAID OPENING, A HOLLOW PLUNGER RECIPROCABLE IN SAID CHAMBER AND THROUGH SAID OPENING A ROTATABLE ABOUT THE CYLINDRICAL AXIS OF THE CHAMBER, A DISPENSING HEAD FIXED ON THE EXTERNAL END OF SAID PLUNGER AND FORMED TO PROVIDE AN AXIALLY PRESENTED FINGER PIECE FOR RECEIVING INTERMITTENT FINGER PRESSURE TO OPERATE THE PLUNGER, SAID FINGER PIECE BEING LATERALLY BOUNDED BY A PLURALITY OF RELATIVELY ANGULARLY DISPOSED SIDE EDGES, CERTAIN OF THE INTERSECTIONS OF SAID EDGES DEFINING RADIAL PROJECTIONS RADIALLY OUTWARDLY OF THE REST OF SAID HEAD, SAID PROJECTIONS BEING DISPOSED ON A SURFACE OF REVOLUTION COAXIAL WITH SAID CHAMBER, SAID PLUNGER AND SAID BARREL RESPECTIVELY BEING PROVIDED WITH MATING THREADS CONCENTRIC TO SAID AXIS AND POSITIONED FOR ENGAGEMENT IN THE INWARDLY DEPRESSED POSITION OF THE PLUNGER, SAID THREADS BEING ENGAGEABLE AND DISENGEABLE BY RELATIVE ROTARY MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE PLUNGER AND BARREL, IN COMBINATION WITH A PROTECTIVE CAP COMPRISING A TUBULAR SKIRT ENCIRCLING SAID 